Slim Lewis: Elephant Trainer-Tattooer
Researched & Written by Carmen Nyssen
Pacific Northwest tattoo artist, George Washington “Slim” Lewis (1911-1981), ranked among numerous tattoo artists whose careers intermingled with the world of circuses and sideshows. In 1927, at age 16, Slim ran away to join the circus—a proverbial adventure that led to his dream job training elephants and eventually to a side gig tattooing in Seattle’s Pike Place Market district. Though his life story is not an entirely uncommon tale, it is unique in that the details weren’t lost to history. Unlike so many of his cohorts, he had the presence of mind to record his fascinating account for posterity.
Firsthand Tattoo Tales & More
In three books, Elephant Tramp (1955), The Ape I Knew (1961), and I Loved Rogues (1978), Slim chronicles his journey from young roustabout to elephant trainer, as well as, his escapades as a sideshow exhibitor and tattoo artist—an unraveling of events fueled by an innate love of excitement, or the X-factor as I like to call it.
I highly recommend these volumes as autobiographical reference. It isn’t often that tattoo history is bestowed with a firsthand narrative. Even if Slim only slightly touches on his intermittent days of tattooing, the collective insights he shares about life on the road; the ups-and-downs of working with circuses, sideshows, and zoos; his love for elephants; and the particulars of tattooing as an interim occupation, are invaluable contributions to sideshow, circus, and tattoo history. In fact, had Slim forgone writing his memoirs, we might never have known he tattooed—or further traced his associations with Seattle tattooing.
George W. Crueger
In The Ape I Knew, Slim explains that he learned tattooing after World War II from a Seattle tattoo artist friend, George Washington Crueger (aka Kruger, Krueger, Cruger). As told in Elephant Tramp and the reprint I Loved Rogues, the two had met years earlier, in 1932, when a 21-year-old Slim became responsible for the care of Tusko, one-time Al G. Barnes performer and the most famous and orneriest elephant bull in show business—and Slim’s best friend!
Crueger, also a show promoter, had arranged for Slim to bring Tusko to Seattle, where they could exhibit him (you’ll have to read the book for the outcome). From previous research, I knew that Crueger had been a mainstay tattooer in Seattle since c. 1911. He owned several local penny arcades, including one in historic Pioneer Square adjoining a laundry mat. But until I read the books, I had no idea Slim manned one of his tattoo booths in the arcade at 1st Avenue & Pike Street.
Follow the Research Trail
Since Slim doesn’t appear in any other known records as a tattoo artist, the document trail ends with his books. But never fear! Anyone who researches and studies history, of any sort, knows there’s almost always more information—if you use your resources. Just recently, I connected with Slim’s son, David Lewis, who shared some wonderful tidbits about his father. According to David, Slim tattooed at Crueger’s place through the 1960s and he was friends with another established Seattle tattoo artist—none other than Clarence John Danzl, better known in the tattoo world as “Danny Danzl.”
C.J. Danny Danzl
A few snippets of Danzl research to set the stage: Danzl, a Minnesota native, arrived in the Northwest around 1939, where he first worked as a gardener in Portland, Oregon, and tattooed with George Fosdick. By 1942, he’d moved to Seattle, along with his brother Roman, and after a stint in WWII as a Navy cook, began working as a cook for Foss Launch and Tug. Like Slim, he moonlighted as a tattoo artist, working in a corner of the Pacific Tavern at 1115 ½ 1st Avenue. As noted in Seattle city directories, later, in 1971, he took over Zeke Owen’s shop at 1303 1st Avenue—first known as Trade Winds Tattooing, then by 1978, Seattle Tattoo Emporium.
According to David, Slim and Danzl kept in touch throughout the years. Once a month they met for coffee and donuts at Kresky’s Sandwich shop. Danzl, David says, was a character, who “scared the crap out of him.” Danzl had undergone a tracheotomy and spoke with a voice vibrator. He wore an ascot that hid his gruesome surgery, but often times removed it while yelling at David, “Never smoke!
Life with a Tattoo Artist
David was also kind enough to offer some interesting tidbits of what life with a father tattoo artist was like. Slim’s older sons, Don and Ron, at age 10 and 11 respectively, wore his practice tattoos on their arms—their names. And their mother, Slim’s first wife, almost became a tattooed lady. As for Slim’s own etchings, he had elephants tattooed on one arm. And in the late 1970s, he had a beautiful, multi-colored elephant head put on his knee with a trunk cascading down the front of his shin. He was so enamored of this elephant tribute, he requested his skin be made into a lampshade when he died. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t happen.
Historical Bias
In history, there are bigger names and there are lesser names. More often than not, history focuses on the former. In tattoo history, most have heard of Danny Danzl. Maybe some have heard of George Crueger. My bet is very few have heard of George “Slim” Lewis. Although Slim’s true passion was elephant training, he was a welcomed and interconnected figure on the Seattle tattoo scene. In other words, he’s just as much a part of tattoo history as the others.
It’s easy to see why documenting all known characters is important to understanding the greater whole. History, otherwise, becomes severely biased. Slim represents a large group of tattooers who—to varying degrees—tattooed for supplemental income, whether they were showman, machinists, commercial artists, or so on. As evidenced by the career of each aforementioned tattoo artist, the part-time, moonlighting phenomenon was an integral factor in the trade and it opened the door to countless mutual influences.
Acknowledgements:
Much respect and thanks to Slim Lewis, who cared enough to write his memoirs, and to his son David Lewis for enthusiastically sharing his own memories and knowledge of his father’s history.
Related Buzzworthy Tattoo History Article:
Read about George Crueger’s friend Oregon Ben
Questions or Comments? Email:
carmennyssen@buzzworthytattoo.com
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